This application claims the priority of application no. 102 54 132.9 filed in Germany on Nov. 20, 2002, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a removable roof for a motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car of the sports car type, between a windshield frame and a rollover bar system.
A roof is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,576 which is inserted into an opening of a vehicle body structure and has two roof halves fitted together in a longitudinal center plane. In one embodiment, a sealing body, which sealingly cooperates with frame profiles of the two roof halves, extends along the longitudinal center plane.
From German Patent Document DE 29 29 915 A1, a roof arrangement for a motor vehicle is known, which has two roof parts which can be detached from a vehicle body, are mutually connected in a longitudinal center plane of the motor vehicle and are supported by fixed frame parts of the vehicle body. Sealing bodies are provided between the frame parts and the roof parts, are held on the above-mentioned frame parts and, together with sealing sections of the roof parts, implement a sealing function. Each roof part is made of a glass-fiber-reinforced plastic material and has an exterior wall and a first interior wall and a second interior wall, which interior walls have a clearly thicker wall thickness than the exterior wall.
It is an object of the invention to provide a removable roof for a passenger car which, while its weight is low, has a high stability. In this case, the roof should constructively be designed such that at least sufficient headroom for the occupants of a passenger car of a defined height is provided.
According to the invention, this is achieved by providing a removable roof for a motor vehicle, particularly a passenger car of the sports car type, between a windshield frame and a rollover bar system, which roof is made of a plastic material and comprises an exterior wall as well as an interior wall, wherein the exterior wall and the interior wall of the roof are made of a high-strength plastic material and form a rigid member connection, the exterior wall and the interior wall essentially meeting only at edge zones of the roof.
Important advantages achieved by means of preferred embodiments of the invention are that the exterior wall and the interior wall, which consist of a high-strength plastic material and are relatively thin-walled, form a rigid support connection, whereby the roof elements of the roof easily withstand not only the strains, for example, between a windshield frame and a rollover bar, but also have a weight which promotes an easy handling—mounting and demounting. The exterior wall and the interior wall extend at a relatively narrow distance from one another which, at the given vehicle height, ensures an acceptably good headroom for the occupants of the passenger car. Finally, the profilings of the interior wall, on the one hand, optimize the stability of the roof elements and, on the other hand, are suitable for receiving add-on pieces, such as locks, sealing bodies, or the like.
The drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention which will be explained in detail in the following.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.